12 Days of Shipmas: Six Geese a-Laying
by Juliet'sEmoPhase
Summary: Harvey has got Mike his Christmas present early, but rather than be excited, Mike is just plain nervous. No spoilers, no smut. Non-canon compliant.


Author's Note 30-12-15: So, in case you missed it on Tumblr, I have been writing twelve stories in the run-up to Christmas, featuring my favourite ships from my favourite fandoms.

Unfortunately, I became extremely ill and had to visit the hospital a few days before Christmas. Thankfully I'm fine now, but it meant I was delayed posting this and other fics, and still need to write the last couple of stories. I will do this as soon as possible, and thank you for your patience.

If you want to see the list of fandoms to come, or the prompt list I have been working from, please go to my Tumblr (at julietsemophase) and look for the "12 Days of Shipmas" link on my homepage where all the stories are logged.

Anyways, today is S _uits_ day, and I couldn't be happier. There isn't a show on TV without a more obvious couple on (except maybe _Supernatural)_ and I was thrilled to finally have a chance to write these two. I hope you enjoy reading it xxx

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Six Geese a-Laying

"You wanted to see me?" Mike asked at the threshold of the dimly lit office. New York twinkled beyond the floor to ceiling windows that Harvey was currently gazing out of, customary tumbler of whiskey in hand. Even relaxed and in contemplation he radiated assuredness, and Mike felt his insides squeeze a fraction in awe.

He turned and gave a tight-lipped smile to Mike. "Sure kid, come on in," he said. Despite the fact he was pretty sure they were the only ones left on the floor so late at night, Mike closed the door after he stepped inside. Any excuse to be alone.

He was always extremely careful when they were in the office never to cross the professional line that they had spent so many years treading. All that had finally changed, thankfully, when several months ago Mike hadn't been able to take torturing himself anymore, and had thrown himself at his boss after a heated, drunken argument about their usual pointless bullshit. He had been pretty certain he was going to get himself fired, but he'd not cared. It was worth it to find out what Harvey tasted like, if only briefly and never again.

To his astonishment something had broken in Harvey, as he fisted his hand through Mike's hair and grabbed the back of his shirt, hauling him in closer and kissing him a like drowning man gasping for air. Mike had kept telling himself not to be too disappointed, not to read too much into it or get attached, that as Harvey had pulled him into his hotel room that it was going to be a one-time thing and he would be grateful for having it as opposed to the nothing he had ever expected.

But here they were, almost at the end of the year, and Harvey was still pulling him into his bed. Pulling him into his life.

"Is this about the case for Jessica?" Mike asked, still standing as he waited for an indication from Harvey. "Because I haven't had a chance to look at the files yet."

After a moment of hesitation, Harvey turned and licked his lips, looking at Mike through his eyelashes. "Actually," he said, a hint of reservation in his voice that made Mike nervous. "I wanted to give you your Christmas present."

Several emotions shot through Mike's chest as he struggled to keep his face neutral. Shock, and then absurd happiness that they were crossing their self-imposed line by discussing something so personal at work. Fear as to _why_ they were doing it at work. And then finally, shame and panic. "But," Mike blurted out stupidly. "I thought – I haven't got your present yet," he admitted. He thought he had more time.

Harvey though smiled at him warmly, and waved his glass at the plush chairs where a wrapped box stood on the coffee table. "I forgive you," he said with a smirk. "Now sit down and open your present."

Mike swallowed, unsure, but slid down into the leather seat. "I could wait?" he said, almost afraid to touch it as Harvey sat opposite him. "I feel bad."

But Harvey bit his lip and leaned forward, the ice rattling in his glass between his knees. "Don't feel bad kid," he said genuinely. "You know part of the fun for me is getting one up on you." He winked, and Mike relaxed a little.

"That is true, you old bastard," he teased, scooting the box over to him and reading the tag.

Harvey scoffed. "Okay," he said, amused and shaking his head. "Don't push your luck."

The note simply said _"Merry Christmas"_ on it; nothing more personal or incriminating, such as their names. But the fact they were doing this at their place of work made up for that, Mike felt. Like Harvey was defying the firm by doing this out in the open. There were pretty strict rules about partners sleeping with associates, and it could get them both fired. But Harvey Specter was never really one for rules.

"I take it Donna wrapped this," Mike said, deliberately pushing his luck as he inspected the silver wrapping with purple ribbon. It was either that or admit how hard his heart was banging in his chest.

It had never just been sex between them, not since that first night, or even since they first met. Mike cared deeply about Harvey, he admired and coveted him and his approval. But it had not gone unnoticed how Harvey had held Mike after their first time together, how his fingers found any excuse to linger on his skin – even the way he would gruffly fling coffee and the morning paper at him like a he was a nuisance was him showing his particular brand of possessive affection, and Miked loved it all the more.

He loved Harvey, he knew he did. But it was much easier to tease and rile him rather than say the words out loud.

But this ceremonious present giving was making him nervous that they were about to cross another line, personally speaking, and he was ashamed to admit he was afraid.

It was always a case of taking what he could get from Harvey, and appreciating that it could all be ripped away from him at any given moment. Harvey was always the one in charge, and if he realised how stupid they were being Mike couldn't' blame him for putting an end to it. So he always held back, just a little, not willing to give himself over fully so he would have something left of himself when it would all inevitably come crashing down. It was a sort of self-preservation, he guessed.

But moments like this, where Harvey caught him off guard, always brought his defences up. In case _this_ was the moment of no return, in case _this_ was finally the time he would finally shatter Mike's heart into a thousand pieces.

Harvey took Mike's barb about Donna wrapping his present with an arched eyebrow. "What, you think I couldn't possibly do a good job wrapping a gift?" he quipped. Mike held the present as if it were fragile, unable to look up at Harvey.

"No," he said honestly. "I just don't think you'd deign to do something so lowly yourself."

"Would you just shut up and open it," Harvey groused, taking a sip of his drink as Mike laughed, nervously. So he did, sliding his fingers along the creases and ripping the paper noisily in the quietness of the office. Inside was…another box.

"Gee," Mike said sardonically as he pulled the second smaller box out, wrapped again in silver. "Just what I always wanted."

"Okay," said Harvey in defeat. "This may have been Donna's idea, so you can give her a hard time about it later. Just…keep going."

After a moment of paused intrigue, Mike looked back from Harvey and tore into the fresh paper, lifting the lid and unsurprisingly finding another wrapped box. This went on for two more layers, with Harvey looking on in amusement as Mike got more and more flustered, before finally he reached a small, unwrapped box that he knew instinctively was the real present.

He paused, turning it over in his fingers. "Go on kid," Harvey urged. That was the third time he'd called him kid since he'd arrived. He was nervous.

It was this that gave Mike the courage to open the last box. He wanted to alleviate Harvey's worries, even if he himself was practically shaking in apprehension. But he was surprised to see that all that lay inside the box was a simple key, and he fished it out to frown down at it. "It's a key?" he said, aware of how dumb he sounded.

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" replied Harvey, and Mike looked up finally to see how tense he was. What kind of key could make Harvey Specter tense?

And then it hit him. His eyes snapped back down, and he almost didn't dare breath. It couldn't be, could it? "What's it a key for?" Mike asked, striving to keep his voice even.

"What do you think?" Harvey replied. Of course he was going to make him say it. There was no going back from this if he was wrong.

He licked his lips and took a steadying breath. "It's…a key to your place?" he said, unable to keep the question from framing his words.

Harvey just gave him a single nod, and hope and exhilaration exploded through Mike's chest like the God-damn Fourth of July. "We talked about you spending Christmas at mine," Harvey explained. "And I figured this would be easier than me having to babysit you."

A key to Harvey's flat – he was being intrusted with Harvey's _home._ Mike felt a lump rise in his throat, and he coughed it away. "Thank you," he stammered. "I uh, that's great."

"But?"

Mike looked up sheepishly. He could never fool Harvey. "But why now? Why not when I come over on Christmas Eve, and have _your_ present to give you back?"

Harvey chuckled affectionately. "What's the obsession with giving presents at the same time?" he asked.

Mike rubbed the back of his neck and tried not to let his emotions creep out. "Because you always give me so much," he said. "I wanted a chance to give you something back."

He risked looking over at Harvey, who put his drink down and laced his fingers together between his knees. "Well, lucky for you," he said measuredly. "That _is_ my present from you."

"How?" Mike breathed, not daring to let himself hope. But Harvey's eyes were wide with vulnerable sincerity, and he couldn't help himself. "How is this my present to you?"

Harvey didn't blink. He just held Mike's gaze for what seemed like forever. "It is…if you wanted to move your stuff in in time for the holidays?"

Mike's vision went entirely white as he took the split-second to process what Harvey had said. When it returned, he dropped his gaze back to the innocuous looking key held precariously between his fingers. "You want me to move in with you?" he whispered around the solid lump in his throat, unable to stop the wetness collecting behind his eyes.

"Yes," said Harvey firmly and simply. "I want you to be home for Christmas."

Home. _Home._ He wanted Mike to share his home. He wanted it to be _their_ bed and _their_ coffee cupsand a million other stupid things that would be _theirs._ He wanted Mike to come _home._

Without a word, Mike stood and walked around the table, not stumbling but with purpose as he reached Harvey and folded into his lap, glass door be damned. He buried his face into Harvey's neck and shivered as strong fingers ran up his back, as lips pressed against his hair. "Is this what you really want?" he mumbled, and in response Harvey pulled him in tighter.

"Yes," he said determinedly. "I want you in my life. I want you to be there every morning when I wake up, I want your God-damn bike in my lobby and your toothbrush and ties next to mine. But," he said, inhaling deeply as Mike shifted in his lap to look at him. "Only if that's what you want?"

"Yes," Mike replied immediately, before hungrily kissing his lips several times. "Yes, please, that's what I want."

Harvey let himself be kissed, his fingers carding through Mike's hair as he leaned even further into him. He had been so terrified of falling all the way for Harvey, he hadn't once let himself consider how _good_ it might feel. It was freeing and wondrous, and he hoped it would never end.

After a time, Harvey pulled back and ran his hand along the side of Mike's tearful face. He wasn't even embarrassed, for once he wanted to be completely honest about what Harvey meant to him. "What do you say kid?" he asked, prising Mike's fingers open from where they had clamped so hard over the key they had left a red imprint. "How about we go home?"

Mike nodded, his hand entwining with Harvey's the key pressed between them. "I think that sounds perfect."

End


End file.
